


A Demon's Heart

by PenguinsCanFly



Category: Naruto, Naruto Shippuden
Genre: Chuunin, Chuunin Exams, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Funny, I don't know what else to tag, No Smut, OOC, OOCness, Original Village, Rouge shinobi, Team 7 - Freeform, They are mentioned but not actually in the story, naruto - Freeform, suna
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 17:30:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4573332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenguinsCanFly/pseuds/PenguinsCanFly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Noemi Akiyama has always detested the shinobi village Suna, ever since the death of her beloved father. However, fate decided to be cruel to her once again and she now has to travel to Suna with her quirky team to complete a mission as well as deal with her conflicting feelings over a certain red-head...</p><p>Is there anyway Noemi can win over this demon's heart?</p><p>-----------------------------------</p><p>(Can also be found on fanfiction.net and my username on that site is KetchupIsBetterThanMayo)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> New story, involving my favourite (and first) anime/mange, NARUTO! xx

15 years ago...

 

The sun slowly began to rise, hovering just above the horizon and casting rays of light over the land. Morning dew sparkled in the grass like jewels and birds chirped their morning song. Rust-coloured leaves littered the ground, a few more joining them every minute as the crisp wind blew through the trees. Suddenly, a rumbling echoed through the air and several animals scurried away in fright.

 

A dark hole emerged at the bottom of a mountain and a yawning man wandered out of it, casting his hazy eyes across the scene. His headband glinted in the morning light, showing two triangles with the smaller one slightly in front of the larger one. He took a few steps forwards and stretched his arms, when a small cry emitted from somewhere. Startled, the man glanced around and his eyes widened considerably as they laid on a quivering bundle of cloth.

 

As he watched, a fold of cloth fell aside to reveal a small, wrinkled hand, clasping the air as if to latch itself onto something. He cautiously stalked towards the bundle, his eyes darting around in case of any traps. A louder cry sounded as the man crouched next to the bundle, before slowly opening the folds of the blanket.

 

Large, green eyes with golden specks stared up at him, slowly blinking. The baby reached up with both hands and grabbed the man's hand which was still resting on the blanket. The said person was still gazing at the tiny infant, warmth flooding into his eyes as the baby's mouth twitched up into a small smile. Gently, he took the infant in his arms and rocked her back and forth, murmuring reassuring words in their ear. Casting a final look around him, the man walked back inside the mountain and the hole slowly swallowed him, before being closed up once again.

 

* * *

Present time...

* * *

 

 

“Noemi Akiyama get your lazy ass down here now!”

 

I groaned but paid no attention to the aggravated voice, tying the ends of my forehead protector around the back of my neck and slowly pushing the metal plate up and over my forehead, so it rested comfortably on the top of my head. Making sure my fringe was pushed back with the metal plate, I gave one glance in the mirror before trotting out of my room and down the stairs.

 

As I descended, photos of my life lined the wall, starting with myself as a little baby and finishing with the picture I'd taken with my team when we became Chuunins. I paused to gaze at the man holding the baby version of me, before smiling slightly and skipping off the last step.

That man was the one who'd found me abandoned at the village gate, and he was the one I called Dad. However, it had been 6 years since I'd last seen him as he'd been killed on a mission by Sunagakure shinobi. Ever since, I had resented Suna and had refused to go on any missions regarding that village.

 

The moment I opened the door an arm wrestled around my neck and caught me in a headlock.

 

“Thank Kami! I was getting sick of standing here like a lemon! Why do you have to lie in so late?” Kazuko Saito growled, strangling me. I gasped for air and, my ninja instincts kicking in, I elbowed Kazuko in the gut and I felt the grip around her neck loosen, I wriggled out and bent Kazuko's arm behind her back. The said person hissed in pain.

 

“I need my lie ins Kaz.” I said smoothly. “You know what I'm like when I don't get my lie in.”

 

Kaz gulped at the frightening memory and nodded nervously.

 

“Please don't remind me.” She mumbled. I grinned and let go of her arm.

 

“Let's go and get Teiji and Ichiro-sensei.” I chirped, linking my arm through Kaz's non-injured arm and skipping down the passageway.

 

I lived in The Village Hidden in the Mountains, otherwise known as Sanmyaku. Our whole village was situated deep inside the mountains, and the only way to get in or out was the main gate which overlooked the valley we lived in. Not many villages knew we even existed, since we were extremely well hidden. This village is basically a sanctuary for those who need protection or have nowhere else to go. However, we are very suspicious of strangers and very rarely accept people from different villages entering our home.

 

Well, I'm not like that. Despite growing up in a close-knit community and having everything I ever needed here, I've always wished to explore the world. My team think I'm berserk, but I don't care. It gets very monotonous staying in these mountains every second of the day. I'm very different compared to the village, through looks and personality. Whereas everyone has dark hair and pale skin, I have caramel hair and tanned skin, despite hardly seeing the sun. Whereas everyone is wary of strangers and doesn't like to venture out of the mountains, I'm always getting told off for trying to sneak out into the outside world.

 

My Dad always knew of my yearning to go outside, so whenever he went on a mission, he'd let me say goodbye to him outside so I got to feel the breeze and sun on my face. I treasure those memories the most, as it showed how much my Dad and I loved each other. My chest ached and felt hollow as these memories rose and the spring in my step subsided slightly. It has been 6 years since his passing, but they had been extremely long and I still had to find out who'd ripped his life from this world. All I knew was that they were from Suna and that I never wanted to see that village.

 

Ever.

 

However, fate seemed to hate me today because the destination of our mission was the one place I despised the most. According to our mission, we were supposed to help get rid of a band of rouge ninja who'd been ransacking supplies which were getting shipped to...

 

* * *

 

“Suna?!” I shrieked. “Why?!”

 

Our leader, Aritomo Kagawa, sighed and linked his fingers together.

 

“I know you have a grudge against them Noemi, but you will have to let it slide. They are an incredibly powerful village and we need to build a stronger bond with them, just like we have with Konoha.” He uttered, resting his chin on his entwined fingers.

 

A tic started above my right eyebrow and I gripped the scroll which contained our mission tighter than necessary. Teiji laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder and gave me a closed-eye smile. He was the sweetest guy I'd ever met, constantly looking out for me and lifting my spirits whenever I was down. Without him or Kaz I would've never gotten over Dad's death. If Teiji wasn't gay I probably would've asked him out already.

Ichiro-sensei eased the scroll from my grasp and bowed respectfully to Aritomo.

 

“We shall leave within the hour.” He promised.

 

“Be back within 5 days.” Aritomo ordered. “I can't afford to have you away from the village any longer than needed Ichiro.”

 

Ichiro nodded and turned to go. My team mates and I bowed just like Ichiro-sensei had done and after muttering “Aritomo-sama” we exited the room swiftly. Sensei expected me to explode after we were out of earshot so the moment we were, he ruffled our hair and grinned.

 

“Get your bags packed guys and gals and meet me at the front gate within the hour!” He barked, grinning before using the transportation jutsu. I turned to vent my anger out on my team mates, but they had vanished from sight. I sighed and straightened my ponytail.

 

“Am I really that scary when I'm pissed?” I pondered, walking down the passageway to my apartment.

 

* * *

 Half an hour later...

* * *

 

 

“Yosh! We're ready to go!” Ichiro-sensei cheered, hoisting his bag higher up his back. I raised my eyebrow.

 

“You seem happy today.” I commented.

 

“It's been too long since we've been on a mission together. Reminds me of the good-old days.” He shrugged. I smiled and glanced at Kaz and Teiji. Ever since we'd been promoted Chuunin, we'd hardly gone on any missions together, and if we did, it was never all of us at the same time. Hearing Kaz and Teiji argue about whether ramen or grilled chicken was better made me chuckle under my breath.

 

I'd missed this more than I'd realised.

 

“Now, Noemi. I know you don't like Suna but please don't let that get in the way of our mission. This bond is very important to Aritomo-sama, as well as the whole village.” Ichiro-sensei rationalised. I took a deep breath and shook my head, smiling.

 

“Don't worry Sensei, I'll behave.” I reassured. The gate guards stepped forward and placed their hands against the rock. Slowly, their hands glowed blue and it spread into the surrounding rock. A low rumbling sounded and the rock tardily rose, revealing the bright light of the sun.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“I fucking hate sand!” Kazuko moaned, sitting on the ground and taking off her shoe. She shook it and a waterfall of sand flowed out from it. I giggled and stretched my arms, wincing as the sun burned my eyes. “When will the desert end?”

 

“Kaz-chan, Suna is _in_ the desert. You're gonna have to put up with it for a while longer.” Teiji teased. Kaz shot death glares at him and started up a screaming rant while I surveyed the landscape with Ichiro-sensei. The dunes seemed to go on for miles, but in the distance I could just about make out the buildings of Sunagakure. Dread filled my heart as I thought about entering the place where the murders of my Dad lived, but I pushed those thoughts out of my mind. I'd made a promise to Sensei and I wasn't about to break it.

 

“Say, Ichiro-sensei, how much further?” Kaz asked, her face red from sunburn as well as her ranting. Sensei chuckled and pointed towards the village.

 

“It's just beyond those dunes.”

 

“Which bloody dunes?! There's millions of them!”

 

Teiji tutted and pulled Kaz's scarf over her face.

 

“Much better.” He commented, retreating quickly and setting off in the direction Ichiro-sensei had pointed. I re-adjusted my own scarf over my mouth and nose and followed Teiji, leaving an angry Kaz in Sensei's care.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Welcome to Suna!” A cheerful gate guard greeted us, handing the mission scroll back to Ichiro-sensei and waving us through the gate. Clutching the straps of my bag tightly, I glanced around the village. It was incredibly bland here, with no colour apart from the never-ending brown. Grains of sand snuck into my scarf and up my nose, causing me to sneeze. Groaning, I rubbed my nose and ignored Kaz's snickering.

 

“Your sneezes are hilarious.” She remarked. “Sounds like elephant getting shot out of a cannon.”

 

“I've never heard that one before.” Teiji frowned. I rolled my eyes and shoved Kaz, who wasn't expecting it and fell flat on her back. I stared in surprise before doubling over with laughter. Teiji soon joined in and Ichiro-sensei rushed over to see what the commotion was about.

 

“Oh, Kaz-chan.” He chuckled, holding out a hand to her. “What are we going to do with you?”

 

Kaz grumbled something unintelligible under her breath but managed a small grin nonetheless. Wiping my eyes, I gazed up at the building in front of us and realised with a shock that it was the Kazekage's building. I noticed the others watching me out of the corner of my eye and grinned at them, managing to hide the panic which was building up inside of me.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Come in.” Came a cool voice the moment we knocked and sent shivers down my spine. I had a feeling that I'd heard that voice somewhere before...

Ichiro-sensei pushed the door open and ushered us in. I couldn't stop my jaw dropping open as I took in the person who was in the Kazekage's seat.

 

 

...Gaara?!

 

 

The last time I'd seen him was at the Chuunin exams in Konoha where I'd first met Naruto and his friends. I had nightmares about Gaara for a week afterwards after seeing his transformation into Shukaku.

Kaz, Teiji and Ichiro-sensei obviously remembered him to as I heard some not-very-well stifled gasps emit from them. Gaara's eyes widened slightly when he saw us, so I gathered he remembered us as well. Speaking of his eyes, they'd lost the edge of coldness they'd previously had and it was replaced with something softer and more human.

 

“Welcome to Sunagakure.” He greeted, laying down the stack of papers he'd been reading when we came in. “I hope your journey here was satisfactory.”

 

“Could've been worse.” Ichiro-sensei replied. He walked right up to Gaara's desk and placed the mission scroll on it. “I trust you know why we're here.”

 

“Indeed I do.” Gaara said, opening the scroll and reading it anyway. As he did so, I took this time to observe his office. Stacks of paper were neatly stored away on his desks and shelves, and his open drawer showed how crammed it was with folders. Looks like being Kazekage was keeping him busy. I let my gaze wander and it settled on a picture on his desk. It showed him and his siblings, Temari and Kankuro, standing outside the Kazekage building. They hadn't changed much, apart from the fact they wore slightly different clothing and Temari looked sterner than before. Despite their poker faces, I could tell they were happy.

I smiled. It was nice that they got along now, comparing their relationship back in the Chuunin exam where they were both petrified of Gaara. I suddenly felt a pair of piercing eyes on me and lifted my gaze to meet Gaara's. A flash of curiosity passed across his eyes but quickly vanished as he returned his gaze to the scroll before closing it.

 

“I have sorted out accommodation for all of you while you stay here.” He started. “I hope it is to your likings. Temari, you can come in now.”

 

The door opened and the blonde ninja walked in, her signature fan attached to her back. She gave a double take when she saw us but quickly replaced her shock with a smile.

 

“Wow, it's been a while Mountain nin.” She said. “Good to see you again.”

 

“You too.” I replied, with a chorus of 'yeps' from Teiji and Kaz.

 

“Temari will show you to your rooms. If you need anything just ask her or my brother Kankuro. I trust you all remember him?”

 

“Cat ears? Yup, I remember him.” Kaz grinned. I chuckled and Temari joined me.

 

“Goodbye.” Gaara said, before turning back to his work. Temari waved her hand at us and we all followed her out of the Kazekage's office.

“He's changed so much...” I muttered, glancing back at the door we just came through which lead to Gaara. Temari glanced at me and a soft smile adorned her face.

 

“Naruto knocked a lot of sense into Gaara at the Chuunin exam. Without him, I doubt Gaara would be where he is now. You guys helped him as well, especially you Noemi.”

 

“How?” I asked, surprised. “Sorry, I have terrible memory.”

 

“She's not joking.” Sensei added, earning a scowl from me. Temari snickered and opened the door which lead back out into the street.

 

“You'd better ask Gaara.” She responded, her feet kicking up sand as she walked. “Whatever you did tell him, it's stayed with him all this time.”

 

“Wow, did you declare your undying love for him or something?” Kaz scoffed.

 

“I wonder how that went down.” Teiji added, winking at me. I narrowed my eyes and gave him my don't-fuck-with-me glare. The way he gulped and started increasing his speed to get away from me suggested that I could compete with Sasuke in a glaring contest. If only the duck-butt hadn't decided to go to Orochimaru...

 

“Here we are.” Temari said, gesturing to an inn. “It has a cold springs as well.”

 

“Cold springs?” Sensei asked, confused. “Isn't it hot springs?”

 

“Would you want to take a dip in a hot springs in this weather?”

 

“Good point.”

 

Temari shook her head humorously and waved at us.

 

“I'm going to try and find, who you call, cat ears. By the way, there's a meeting in a few hours about where you guys are going to guard so you can ambush the rouge nin. I'll come and collect you then. See you!”

 

And with that, she marched away in search of her brother. I looked back at the inn and grinned as I thought about bathing in cool, refreshing water after today's events. My team looked like they were exactly the same thoughts.

 

“Last one there is a rotten egg!” Teiji roared, charging inside with Kaz close on his tail. I eyed Ichiro-sensei and quickly took off with him close at my heels.

 

God, I love my team.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

“This is so good.” Kaz sighed, sinking deeper into the cool water so only her head showed. I grinned in agreement and rested my head back against the side of the bath. My sun-burnt skin was being soothed by the refreshing water and any remaining sand stuck to my body was long gone. I could hear splashing next door so I guessed that Teiji had started a water fight with Ichiro-sensei. The door to the bath suddenly opened and I look over my shoulder to see a couple of girls about the same age as me walk in, both of them giggling about something.

 

“Oh, hello.” The one with long black hair greeted, dropping her towel and climbing into the water. “I don't think I've seen you two around here before.”

 

“We're not from around here.” I clarified as her friend joined us in the water. “We here to help you guys get rid of the rouge ninjas.”

 

“Those bastards.” Her friend growled. “They should know not to mess with Suna with Gaara-sama as Kazekage.” As she said Gaara's name, a light pink tint spread across her cheeks and I gathered that she had a crush on him.

 

“I'm Sari, by the way.” The black haired girl said. “And this is Matsuri. She's the lucky one with having Gaara-sama as her Sensei.” She sighed and sunk lower into the water. I internally groaned. How many fan-girls did Gaara have? I heard Kaz snicker and couldn't help but giggle myself, but luckily the two girls were lost in their thoughts to pay us any attention. Next door, I heard the door slam open and a loud voice greet Teiji and Sensei.

 

“Oh, it's Kankuro.” Matsuri sighed. “He's so loud!”

 

“Cat ears?! Oh my Kami Noemi! We need to say hi to him again!” Kaz chuckled. I laughed out loud and stood up, grabbing my towel from the side.

 

“Please don't pull his ears again like you did last time!” I pleaded, stepping out of the bath and wrapping my towel around myself. Kaz grumbled but didn't argue, standing up herself and snatching her own towel from the side. Matsuri and Sari stared at us confsued.

 

“Cat ears?” Matsuri asked.

 

“Yeah, we first met the Sand Siblings at the Chuunin exams in Konoha.” Kaz explained, covering herself with her towel. She turned to me and grinned cheekily. “I wonder if cat ears remembers us...”

 

“See you... Nomei, was it?” Sari called. I turned around and gave the girls a wave.

 

“Yeah, I'm Noemi and she's Kazuko.” I replied. “See you!” Then I walked out of the room with Kaz on my heels.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I never thought I'd share a bath house with Kankuro-kun.” Teiji sighed. “My Kami he's attractive!”

 

“Does he seriously look that different?” Kazuko asked, towel drying her hair viciously. Kaz, Teiji and I were all hanging out in mine and Kaz's room whilst Ichiro-sensei was still getting changed in his and Teiji's room.

 

“Believe you me, that make-up and hood hide all that glorious hotness.”

 

I shook my head and put my hands on my hips. “I seriously doubt that.”

 

There was a sudden knock on the door and a voice called out.

 

“Can I come in? It's Kankuro.”

 

“Cat ears! Come on in!” Kaz yelled, running to the door and wrenching it open. Let me tell you, Teiji was certainly right about the make-up and hood hiding his hotness.

 

“... Kazuko right?” He asked, choosing to ignore her out burst. Kaz closed her open mouth and nodded, for once in her life being speechless. He grinned and slapped her on her shoulder. “Long time no see!”

 

“What am I? Invisible?” I joked. Kankuro spotted me and walked in, closing the door.

 

“Hey, Noemi!” He said. “Now that's a name I'll never forget.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Gaara mentions you often enough.”

 

I was shocked to feel my cheeks heating up. “W-what?”

 

“He talks about Naruto a lot too. All about how you two changed his life.” He gave me a serious look. “I can never thank you enough for that, and neither can Gaara.”

 

“No problem.” I replied whilst fiddling with my hair, the redness in my cheeks dying down. It was an annoying habit I always did whenever I was nervous. Suddenly, the door swung open and Sensei strode in with Temari. Kaz screamed and pretended to cover up her fully-clothed body with a towel.

 

“Knock when you're about to enter a lady's room!” She screeched. He instantly went bright red and went to exit the room when Kaz dropped the towel and laughed. “Only teasing you Sensei!”

 

Ichiro-sensei's eyes narrowed and he shut the door with a snap. “You're gonna be the death of me one day.”

 

Temari watched the show with amusement in her eyes but eventually waved her hand to get everyone's attention.

 

“Right guys, the meeting is going to start shortly so I need you to come with me.” She ordered. We all nodded and I grabbed my forehead protector on my way out.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The meeting was held in a small room, with only the Sand Siblings, my team, a few captains and an elder seated around the table. It was clear that the elder was still wary of Gaara has he gave him a few worried glances now and then. This somewhat angered me as I realised that even though Gaara had gained the trust of the village, he still needed to gain the trust of the elders. The meeting had already gone on for a while and now I could sense that Gaara was about to conclude it.

 

“Ichiro and Teiji, you shall accompany Rikyu's unit with attending to the shipments as they make there way here whilst Noemi and Kazuko, you two shall accompany Baki's unit with guarding the village borders. The units will proceed to their places in 2 hours.” The Kazekage arranged. His eyes rested on me longer than needed and I subconsciously went to fiddle with my hair, before realising that it was down instead of being up in it's usual ponytail.

 

I was able to sit on my hair when it was down, but I found it infuriating so I always kept it up in a high ponytail. I would've got it cut, but my Dad often commented on how pretty my hair was long so I let it grow. Gaara suddenly stood to let us know the meeting was finished so we all followed suit, bowing respectfully before filing out the room. Outside, I rushed up to Kaz whilst gathering my hair into its usually ponytail.

 

“Kaz! Have you got a hair tie I could borrow?” I asked, making sure my forehead protector was still in its usual place. Kaz sighed and pulled a hair tie off her wrist.

 

“Here you go.” She said. I gratefully took the hair tie from her and snapped it around my hair, tightening it slightly.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“You should know that I always have a spare hair tie on me. But knowing your bad memory I bet you'd forgotten that.”

 

I giggled awkwardly. “...Maybe.”

 

“Hey, guys!” I heard someone call from behind us. I pivoted on my heel to see Kankuro strutting towards us with Temari in tow. “Want us to give you a tour of Suna? It's better than waiting around for a couple of hours before we go out.”

 

“Sure, sounds cool.” Kaz shrugged. “Whose unit are you guys with?”

 

“I'm with Rikyu-san's unit whilst Temari's with you and Baki-san.” He answered. “I'll go see if Gaara wants to come.”

 

“Won't he be busy with all that paper work?” I asked, remembering the mountains of paper on his desk from earlier on.

 

“Probably, but that won't stop Kankuro. Besides, Gaara needs to get out more and not stay cooped up in his office all the time. That stress will not do him any good.” Temari said as Kankuro rushed off. He came back moments later practically dragging Gaara with him.

 

“Kankuro, I really must--” Gaara started but was cut off by Kankuro squeezing his shoulder.

 

“He can come. Let's go!” Kankuro cheered before marching off with Gaara. The red-head glanced back at me with a 'help me' look in his eyes. I couldn't resist sticking my tongue out at him before following the two brothers with the rest of my team and Temari.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“How the hell can you wear the colour black in this heat?!” Kaz asked, gesturing to Temari's and Kankuro's outfits. “Don't you die of, like, over heating or something? I'm dying here and I'm not even wearing black!”

 

“You get used to it.” Kankuro shrugged. “It's never affected us that much as we've lived here our whole lives.”

 

“It's better than living in a fucking mountain.” I mumble. “At least you're able to go outside whenever you want.”

 

“Tell me about it, I mean, how are you meant to get a good sun tan without ever seeing the sun?” Teiji complained. The Sand Siblings looked at him strangely.

 

“You're a guy and you worry tanning?” Kankuro said incredulously. Teiji nodded absently and left Kankuro in even more confusion. “No offence, but are you gay or something?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Kankuro anime fell while Temari's mouth dropped open. Gaara's eyes widened but he said nothing.

 

“W-what?!”

 

“Are you seriously that shocked? I mean, didn't you see me checking you out in the cold springs?” Teiji commented, completely ignoring the fact that Kankuro turned bright red out of embarrassment and looked like he was choking on air. Temari wasn't bothering to hide her laughter anymore whilst Gaara was now openly smiling.

 

Wow... Gaara smiling...

 

Now I understood why he had so many fan-girls.

 

“Aww, Kanky! You've got an admirer!” Temari cooed, pinching Kankuro's cheek. Kaz burst out laughing and held her stomach.

 

“Kanky?! Oh my God I am so calling you that now!” She gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks from how hard she was laughing. Sensei, Teiji and I couldn't help but join in, and I was laughing so hard that I didn't sense Gaara coming up next to me.

 

“Are your team mates always like this?” He asked, making me jump out of my skin.

 

“Always. Why?” I replied, quickly getting over my mini-heart attack. I know he was a ninja and all but, Kami, he moved so quietly!

 

Gaara smiled again. “Nothing. It's nice.”

 

I grinned in return and watched my team take the piss out of Kankuro, who looked like he wanted to burrow into a hole and die. They looked pretty pre-occupied so I faced Gaara, linking my hands behind my back.

 

“So, are we continuing this tour or not?” I questioned, rocking back on my heels. The Kazekage nodded and turned away, gesturing for me to follow him. We left to go and see the market, leaving my team and his siblings rolling around in the sand dying of laughter.

 

 

At the market, I quickly spotted a stand selling clothes as well as hair ties, so I rushed up to buy some. When I came back with a pocket full (they always seemed to disappear on me) Gaara noticed them and his mouth turned down in a slight frown.

 

“What?” I asked.

 

“Nothing, it's just that, I think you look nicer with your hair down.” He replied. I blinked a few times in shock as Gaara turned to walk away, but got over it and followed suit. As I walked behind him, I couldn't help but stare at his red hair and remember how vicious and blood-thirsty he was when he was younger. This older version of him was such a contrast, that I had a hard time believing that this still was Gaara. Smiling, I caught up with him and we continued with our tour.

 

As Gaara and I made our way through the village, I realised how many people respected him now. Lots of the villagers bowed respectably for him and I couldn't help noticing how many girls around our age and younger were openly ogling. Gaara seemed oblivious to their stares and continued showing me around. Suddenly, I couldn't stand it anymore and pulled him into an alleyway.

 

“How can you not notice?” I snapped, crossing my arms. He looked extremely baffled and blinked a few times before reply.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Can't you see how many stares you're getting from all those girls?”

 

He looked even more confused now. “...Girls are staring at me?”

 

I couldn't help but facepalm at his comment. “You seriously haven't noticed?”

 

“No... but why would they be staring at me?”

 

“Oh, I don't know, because they think you're hot?” Well, that came out more bluntly than I'd anticipated.

 

Gaara finally appeared to have grasped what I was trying to get across and a pink tinge came upon his cheeks. My eyes widened. Oh my Kami, Sabaku no Gaara was blushing! He was entirely lost for words and looked adorable.

 

Wait... did I just call him adorable?

 

“I-I've never noticed before.” He stammered. I realised how awkward I'd made him feel and felt awful. I smiled slightly and patted his arm.

 

“I just thought I'd let you know... sorry about that.” I apologised. I turned to go but I suddenly felt his grip on my arm. I turned to him to find him concentrating, as if he was trying to find the right words. “What?”

 

“Do you think that I'm, what you call, hot?” He asked, his eyes showing how serious his question was. I almost choked on my own spit and I could feel the heat rising dramatically in my cheeks. My mind brought back the memory of where I'd mentally called him _adorable_ and my heart started racing.

 

Why did he have to ask this question?!

 

“I-I... er...” I stuttered, not meeting his gaze. Suddenly, I sensed someone's presence and looked over my shoulder to see my team and Gaara's siblings standing at the entrance to the alleyway, all of them looking like Christmas had come early.

 

“Well, well well! What do we have here?” Kaz sang, crossing her arms.

 

“We can always come back later if we're interrupting something.” Temari added.

 

Why didn't the ground hurry up and swallow me already?!

 

Gaara let go of my arm and walked towards the others with myself following him.

 

“I've just finished giving Noemi a tour of Suna and we were on our way back.” Gaara said, as if he'd completely forgotten our previous conversation. Actually, I _wanted_ him to forget that conversation!

 

“Are you sure that was that all you were doing?” Kankuro chuckled. “You two looked quite cosy in there.”

 

I was internally screaming and willing the redness in my cheeks to vanish. Teiji looked at me and grinned cheekily.

 

“You okay there Noemi-chan?” He asked.

 

_Don't screw up, don't screw up..._

 

“... y-yes.” I replied, my voice a few decibels higher than normal.

 

_...What was that?!_

 

My team chuckled in unison and I realised how much they were going to drill me for information later on. Crap.

 

“A-anyway, let's g-get going.” I said, my voice relatively back to normal apart from the odd stuttering. Gaara nodded in agreement and we both walked away, painfully noticing the comments our companions were making behind our backs. I kept my arms crossed and my gaze on the sandy ground at all time, but this didn't stop me detecting the odd glance or two Gaara sent my way.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

I rubbed my back, wincing when I touched the bruise forming there. Kazuko seemed a little too aggressive when drilling me for information about me Gaara and I talked about, thinking that it was appropriate to kneel on my back whilst she bent my arm behind my back and shouted questions at me. Teiji found the whole situation absolutely hilarious as he leant for support against the wall, occasionally wiping his eyes as he cried with laughter.

 

Kaz wandered up to me and linked her hands behind her head, staring out into the darkness. We were standing just in front of the village gate with Baki's unit, waiting for the rouge ninjas to turn up. I rubbed my hands together, my gloves doing nothing to protect my hands from the cold.

 

“Do you think they'll even turn up tonight?” Kaz asked. “The rouge nin, I mean.”

 

“I don't know.” I answered truthfully. “According to Gaara, they don't have a pattern they follow when they invade Suna. It's completely random.”

 

“Aritomo-sama won't be pleased if we don't get back soon. He said he wanted us back within 5 days. It's been two days including the day it took for us to get here, so technically, we only have 2 days left.”

 

“He said that to Ichiro-sensei, not to all of us. As long that Sensei gets back in time we're can stay here as long as we want, to an extension.”

 

“You'll use any excuse to stay here longer with your precious Gaara won't you?” Kaz teased, nudging me with her elbow. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

 

“Will you leave it be already? You've interrogated me enough you know.”

 

“But it's so much fun taking the piss out of you!”

 

I stared at Kaz in disbelief and was about to punch her smug face when Baki walked up with Temari.

 

“Any disturbance here?” He asked, his stern and cold voice showing how much authority he had.

 

“None so far.” I answered, standing up straighter. Baki nodded once and turned on the spot, walking back the way he came.

 

“What got shoved up his ass?” Kaz mumbled under her breath, crossing her arms. Temari smirked and leant on her fan.

 

“He's not so bad once you get to know him.” Temari stated. “He was the Sensei of my team.”

 

We stood in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, which was occasionally broken by Kaz stamping her feet in the sand in an attempt to warm them up.

 

“Kami, I'm freezing my butt off here.” She complained. “How much longer are we on guard duty for?”

 

“A few more hours.” I replied, remembering the meeting with Gaara earlier on. We were meant to swap with another unit round about 3am, and it was about midnight now. We'd started our guard duty at 9pm and all I wanted to do now was curl up in my bed and get warm.

 

“How are you not affected my the cold?” Kaz questioned Temari. “You live in a blistering hot desert and yet you're not shivering when it's suddenly drops below 0 degrees at night?”

 

Temari gave her a smug grin. “You could say that I'm used to it.”

 

Kaz groaned and face palmed.

 

“Next time we do this you should steal Teiji's hot water bottle.” I giggled. Kaz scoffed but suddenly gave me a devious smile.

 

“You won't need one will you?” She laughed. “I mean, you have Gaara to snuggle up to, don't you?”

 

This time, I did punch her in the face.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Well, that was a waste of time.” Teiji yawned, stretching his arms. “A whole 7 hours guarding the supplies in the freezing cold, and yet no rouge nin turn up.”

 

“Better get some sleep cause we're doing it all over again tonight.” I said fake-cheerfully, Both my team mates groaned and collapsed onto my bed. The guard duties had been switched around so Baki's unit were now accompanying the supplies whilst Rikyu's unit were guarding he gate to the village. There was a knock on the door and I stood up to answer, tying on my forehead protector as I did.

 

Gaara's comment about my hair had a strange effect on me so instead of wearing it in its usual high plait or ponytail, I wore it loose. I opened the door and Ichiro-sensei stood there, looking entirely awake compared to myself and my team mates.

 

“Yosh! Let's go and do some training!” He cheered. My team mates and I sweat dropped.

 

“We've just changed into our casual outfits, and now you want us to go and train?” Kaz groaned, an impressive bruise surrounding her eye. Sensei blinked at her and gestured to it.

 

“What happened--”

 

“Don't ask.”

 

Sensei let his arm drop and shrugged, dropping the matter

 

“Anyway, the training isn't just with me you know, the Sand Siblings have offered to join in as well.”

 

This definitely raised my teams' spirits as they both jumped up and rushed to the door. Outside the inn Temari, Kankuro and – to my surprise – Gaara stood waiting for us.

 

“Let's see how you guys have improved since the Chuunin exams.” Kankuro grinned. “Speaking of which, are you guys all Chuunins now?”

 

“Yup!” Kaz said proudly. “In fact, Noemi here has been offered the rank of Jounin!”

 

I blushed and fiddled with my hair. Yes, Aritomo-sama has proposed the idea to me of becoming a Jounin but I haven't given him an answer yet. I don't know why, but I don't think I was ready of the rank of Jounin just yet.

 

“Hey, congrats!” Temari said, looking impressed. I opened my mouth to say that I wasn't a Jounin when Sensei cut in.

 

“So, I was thinking that Noemi could do some one-on-one with Temari because they share the same affinity whilst Kaz and Kankuro have their own match. Teiji and I will do some sparring.”

 

I instantly felt sympathy for Teiji as sparring with Sensei was one of the most painful ways to die. Ever since he'd made friends with Guy in Konoha at the Chuunin exams, he'd been acting differently and would perpetually make time for us to do as much training as we could, even if it killed us.

 

“What about Gaara-kun?” Teiji asked, desperate to find a way out of sparring with Ichiro-sensei.

 

“Gaara said he's just going to watch and observe.” Sensei replied. “Right, Gaara?”

 

The red head nodded but said nothing. Sensei clapped his hands together.

 

“Right! Let's get moving!”

 

“So, you have wind affinity then?” Temari asked me as we followed Ichiro-sensei.

 

“Yeah, as well as water.” I replied, matching my pace to hers. I was about to tell her about my kekkei genkai but I decided to surprise her with it instead while we were battling.

 

“What about the rest of your team?”

 

“Kaz has earth affinity whilst Teiji has water.”

 

Temari nodded absently and glanced over at Teiji. “About Teiji... is he really gay?”

 

“Yup. I thought you knew?”

 

“I did... but I wanted to make sure. I'm not homophobic either before you say anything. Also, does he say everyone's names with affixes?”

 

“Yeah, he always does. He's just like that I suppose.” I looked over at my lovable team mate and saw him trying to chat up Kankuro, but failing miserably. “I can't believe he's still flirting with Kankuro.”

 

“Better than flirting with Gaara; the poor guy wouldn't know what hit him.” Temari giggled. We suddenly both had a picture in our minds of Teiji giving Gaara a huge box of chocolates and flowers and simultaneously burst out laughing. Our companions stopped talking to look at us strangely as Temari and I hung onto each other for support.

 

“Are you two alright?” Gaara asked, looking slightly concerned. This only caused us to laugh even harder and I fell onto the floor, clutching my stomach

 

“D-don't worry G-gaara.” Temari gasped, wiping her eyes. “It's a g-girl thing.”

 

The Kazekage didn't look convinced, but he looked more reassured that we weren't dying of oxygen deprivation or something. Wordlessly, he held out his hand to me. My laughter died in my throat as I stared at his hand hovering above me. Not wanting to be rude, I placed my hand in his and let myself be pulled up. His hand, surprising, was quite warm to touch with his skin being slightly rough from wear and tear.

 

As I stood there, lost in my thoughts, I realised just how close we were standing together and that my hand was still in his. Blushing protrusively, I wrenched my hand away more harshly than I'd intended and took a step back. Looking up, I saw that his eyes were boring into me, emotions flickering on their surfaces but not fully showing what he felt. My hand immediately felt cold without his warmth and I rubbed my arm with it out of nerves, and also willing it to warm up again.

 

“Thanks.” I mumbled, lowering my eyes and staring at my feet like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

 

“No problem.” I heard him reply quietly. Our companions had all turned to stare at our Gaara's little display and I wished that they wouldn't. Sensei seemed to notice the awkwardness in the air and clapped loudly.

 

“Right, this area will do! Temari and Noemi, you two go and fight over there, Kaz and Kankuro you two over there and Teiji, you come with me!” He called, pointing to our destinations. “Gaara, you can observe whoever you want first.”

 

We all nodded and walked to our goals and I noticed, with a relief, that Gaara had gone to observe Kaz and Kankuro first. Temari and I stood a distance apart and she opened her fan.

 

“Hope you're ready Noemi.” She called. “Because I'm not going to hold back.”

 

“I don't want you to anyway.” I called back, grinning.

 

 

* * *

 

Kneeling on one knee and taking deep, painful breaths, I noticed Temari stalking towards me, limping slightly after my previous attacks. Smiling, I did a backward flip into the air, my hands performing seals.

 

“Acid style: Burning skin!” I yelled, shooting balls of burning acid out of my mouth. Whilst my opponent dodged quite a few of them she miscalculated the speed of them and several hit their mark. She hissed in pain and grabbed her arm, collapsing onto one knee like how I was before. I ran around so I was facing her injured side and made some more hand seals.

 

“Acid style: Biting mist!” I shouted, before shooting more acid out of my mouth. However, this time as the acid hit the ground it hissed and released clouds of pale green mist, surrounding Temari. She immediately began to writhe in pain as the toxic mist touch her skin and, using this to my advantage, I darted in. Being the user of this kekkei genkai I was immune to the effects of the mist so I had no problem being in it. I delivered several kicks and punches to Temari, each of them hitting their mark and cause her to groan in pain.

 

We both knew that I'd won so I whipped out my two fans out of my pockets.

 

“Wind style: Rising breeze!” I said, raising my fans to my chest and sweeping them out in one sharp motion. Straight away, the mist lifted and left me standing victoriously with Temari laying defeated at my feet.

 

“Good match.” I said, smiling. Temari coughed and turned her head so she could see me.

 

“You didn't say you had a kekkei genkai.” She whispered hoarsely, the mist still burning her throat. I shrugged and knelt beside her, hovering my hands above her burnt arm.

 

“You didn't ask.”

 

A soft green glow surrounded my hands and Temari's burnt skin started to heal and return to it's normal texture, the only difference being that it was slightly pinker than before. I heard muffled footsteps and looked up, shocked to see Gaara standing there.

 

“G-gaara!” I cried. “When did you get here?”

 

“Round about the time Temari knocked you down into that crater over there.” He answered. I winced at the memory but continued healing Temari, moving my hands to her legs where the acid had splashed them. “I'm surprised you didn't use your kekkei genkai at the Chuunin exams.”

 

“I hadn't mastered it then.” I replied truthfully, now hovering my hands over Temari's throat. “Sensei was still teaching me how to use it and I didn't trust myself to use it correctly.”

 

“What clan are you from? I haven't heard of a clan that used an acid kekkei genkai before.”

 

My hands stopped glowing and I helped Temari to sit up.

 

“Honestly, I don't know. I was found outside Sanmyaku when I was a baby, with only a note saying what my name was.” I said quietly. Gaara went silent and I lowered my eyes. Temari noticed the tension and winced, rubbing the back of her head.

 

“Ouch, now I know why you're a Jounin Noemi.” She laughed. I smiled slightly.

 

“I'm not a Jounin.”

 

The two siblings stared at me.

 

“But I thought Kaz said--”

 

“She said that I'd been offered the rank of Jounin, but I haven't accepted it yet.”

 

“Why not?” Gaara asked.

 

I shrugged, not wanting to answer because I didn't have an exact answer myself. Suddenly, I heard Kankuro yell in victory and rush over to us with the rest of my team in tow.

 

“I can't believe you whooped Temari's ass Noemi!” He laughed. I chuckled, helping Temari to stand up.

 

“What where the results?” I asked.

 

“Well, I managed to beat Kaz and Ichiro-san got beaten by Teiji.”

 

My mouth dropped open. “Teiji beat Sensei?!”

 

“Wow, thanks for believing in me.” Teiji scoffed, crossing his arms. I squealed and wrapped my arms around Teiji in a bone-crushing hug.

 

“Oh my Kami! Well done you!” I laughed, not noticing that Teiji was turning interesting shades of blue and purple. Kaz tapped me on the shoulder and I let go, still grinning madly. I turned to Kaz and stuck my tongue out at her.

 

“Sucks to be you, loser!”

 

Kaz gaped at me. “Hey! I was this close you kicking Kanky's ass you know!”

 

“For the hundredth time, stop calling me that!” Kankuro roared, pulling at his cat ears.

 

I was still laughing, somehow becoming hyper from the results of Teiji and Sensei's match.

 

“Whatever Kaz! You still got beaten by a guy who wears cat ears!”

 

Kaz punched me on the arm. “Shut up already!”

 

“No! It's pay back for you taking the piss out of me for you-know-what!”

 

Kaz suddenly grinned shiftily. “Hey guys, don't you think that Gaara and Noemi should have a match?”

 

My grin slipped from my face. “What?”

 

Ichiro-sensei chuckled. “I think that is a very good idea.”

 

Teiji, Kankuro and Temari all nodded. We all turned to Gaara who still stood, not moving, with his arms crossed.

 

“Noemi shouldn't get herself tired out before going out on guard duty.” Gaara argued. I nodded vigorously in agreement but everyone ignored me.

 

“Oh come on! It's not for hours yet! Also, you two haven't had your first lover's tiff yet and this is the perfect opportunity!” Kaz said. I sent her a shut-up-or-you-die look but she ignored me once again. Gaara turned to me, obviously having chosen to disregard Kaz's comment.

 

“Noemi?”

 

I groaned and rubbed my hand down my face, knowing I wasn't getting out of this.

 

“Fine. Let's do this.”

 

 


End file.
